Air actuated toy



Oct. 6, 1959 5. J. KOLWICZ AIR ACTUATED TOY Filed May 14, 1956 IINVENTOR. $727024? J flail/[c2 United States Patent 2,907,138 AIRACTUATED TOY Stanley J. Kolwicz, Emerson, NJ. Application May 14, 1956,Serial No. 584,845 2 Claims. (Cl. 46-53) This invention relates to capsand, more particularly, to novelty caps for children having animatedelements secured thereto.

Aside from being amused by colorful and ornamental types of clothing,children are even more fascinated by clothing that performs an amusementfunction and which is provided with animated means. An object of thisinvention, therefore, is to provide a novel cap for children having aplurality of elements associated therewith that are adapted to rotate inan entertaining and amusing way.

Another object of this invention is to provide an animated beanie capfor children that is simple in construction and which is adapted tobecome animated by the flow of air through related elements thereof.

Although the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of thisinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device made in accordance with oneform of this invention in operative position on the head of a child;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form of thisinvention; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawing, a beanie hat is shown that isconstructed of a plurality of panels 11 secured together in circularfashion. Each of a pair of diametrically opposed panels 11 are providedwith an eyelet 13 that extends therethrough and is secured to the edgesdefining the opening in the panel. These eyelets 13 are adapted torotatably support a stub shaft 15 having a peened end 17 disclosed onthe interior side of the cap and an offset portion 19 that is adapted toretain the shaft in proper position with the eyelet 13 disposed betweenthe peened end 17 and the offset portion 19. The upper or outer end ofthe shaft terminates in an enlarged portion 21 and carries an ear orplate element 22. The connecting portion of the car 22 is provided witha plurality of bands, certain of which 23 extend to one side of thecenter plane of the ear and others 25 of which extend to the oppositeside thereof. Wherebetween the stub shaft 15 is adapted to be receivedas more clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing.

Each of the cars 22 are curved, as more clearly shown in Figure 3, so asto present a concave portion at each side of the center axis thereof,each of which faces in an opposite direction. It will become apparent,therefore, that as the cap is moved or as the wind is caused to movepast the ears, the concave, cup-shaped portions of the car are adaptedto catch the wind so as to be rotated thereby in the manner shown inFigure 1.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, a modified form of the invention isshown wherein a stub shaft 27 having a peened upper end 29 is rotatablycarried by an associated eyelet 13 secured to the hat, to which afour-vaned rotating element 30 is secured. In place of the two-vaned,S-shaped vane described in connection with Figures 1 to 3 of thedrawing, the four-vaned rotating element 30 is provided with fourperpendicularly' intersecting vanes 31, each of which is provided withan angularly offset flange element 33 adjacent the outer extremitythereof. The rotating element 30 is secured to the stub shaft 27 bymeans of a plurality of bands 32 that extend outwardly from theintersecting portions of the respective vanes so as to embrace the shaft27 that extends therethrough, as more clearly shown in Figure 4. Theoperation of this form of the invention is quite similar to thatheretofore described in that wind which is caused to pass by rotatingelements 30 is caught in the pockets formed by the offset flanges 33 soas to cause rotation of the elements in the direction of the arrow shownin Figure 5.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to thespecific forms shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such isnot to be con strued as imparting limitations upon the invention, whichis best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. An animated cap comprising, in combination, a head covering, bushingelements carried by said head covering at diametrically opposed sidesthereof, a rotating element comprising a rotatable shaft carried by eachsaid bushing element, a pair of substantially circular diametricallyopposed vane elements secured to the outer end of each said shaft, thesurface of each said vane being curved about axes parallel to thelongitudinal axis of said respective shaft and comprising pocketsadapted to provide a reaction surface for air passing in associationtherewith to effect rotation thereof within said respective bushing,each said shaft comprising a stub shaft having a lower peened enddisposed inside said head covering and a positioning offset portiondisposed on the outside of said head covering, the pockets of each pairof vanes facing in opposite directions.

2. An animated cap comprising, in combination, a

head covering, bushing elements carried by said head covering atdiametrically opposed sides thereof, a rotating element comprising arotatable shaft carried by each said bushing element, a plurality ofsubstantially circular perpendicularly intersecting vane elementssecured to the outer end of each said shaft, the surface of each saidvane being curved about axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of saidrespective shaft and comprising pockets adapted to provide a reactionsurface for air passing in association therewith to effect rotationthereof within said respective bushing element, each said shaftcomprising a stub shaft having an outwardly disposed peened extremity,said peened extremity maintaining said vanes in assembled relationshipupon said shaft, each said vane being secured adjacent to one sidethereof to said shaft and having an angularly disposed flange adjacentto the opposite side thereof defining said reaction surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.155,437 Molin et al Oct. 4, 1949 625,179 Lyons May 16, 1899 1,005,572Parkerson Oct. 10, 1911 1,371,936 Rubino Mar. 15, 1921 1,618,517 CuretonFeb. 22, 1927 1,985,467 Smaldone et al Dec. 25, 1934 2,679,711 LearnardJune 1, 1954 2,697,836 Lattuca Dec. 28, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 578,642Great Britain July 5, 1946

